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Eddie Alvarez
Eddie Alvarez is the former UFC lightweight champion. He is also the former two-time Bellator lightweight champion and the former BodogFIGHT welterweight champion. He currently competes in One Championship in Asia. Alvarez is the first man in mixed martial arts history to win both a Bellator and UFC championship. Bellator Lightweight Champion Alvarez most recently defeated Josh Neer in a non-title Bellator superfight, choking Neer out with a tight rear-naked choke. He was set to face the second season lightweight tournament finalist Pat Curran for his first title defense, sometime in the promotion's third season. Unfortunately, Curran was injured and Roger Huerta replaced him to fight Alvarez in a non-title superfight. He won the fight via a doctor stoppage between rounds two and three. Huerta suffered a double pair of broken orbital bones. Alvarez next faced Curran winning via unanimous decision in his first title defense. He was next set to defend his title against undefeated season four tournament champion Michael Chandler. Unfortunately Alvarez was injured shortly before the bout was scheduled to take place. The fight was rescheduled. After eighteen minutes of back-and-forth war, Chandler managed to secure a fight-ending rear-naked choke to defeat Alvarez and claim the prize: his Bellator lightweight title. Alvarez next fought a rematch against current Dream lightweight champion and Bellator newcomer Shinya Aoki, winning via a shocking first round technical knockout. Alvarez next faced striker Patricky Freire, winning via highlight reel head kick KO near the end of an exciting first round. Twilight of Alvarez's Bellator Career There were talks of Alvarez going to the UFC. He was offered a very generous deal including an immediate title shot against UFC lightweight champion Ben Henderson. Instead, he was next rumored to make his UFC debut in spring 2013 at UFC 159 against dangerous contender Jim Miller. Instead after a lengthy -- and nasty -- contract dispute with Bellator/Viacom, Alvarez finally signed to return to Bellator in a title rematch against undefeated Michael Chandler in the first Bellator pay-per-view, over a year after the Freire fight. Alvarez and Chandler went to war for twenty-five straight minutes and five straight rounds with Alvarez coming out out the victor with a controversial and close split decision. He had regained his Bellator lightweight world championship. Alvarez entered another round of intense contract negotiations with Bellator culminating in his August 2014 release from Bellator and the vacating of his lightweight title (interim champion Will Brooks became undisputed champion undoubtedly). Ultimate Fighting Championship Alvarez then signed with the UFC to make his long-rumored debut in September 2014 against Donald Cerrone. After taking the first round Alvarez succumbed to the pace of Cerrone losing a clear-cut unanimous decision. Alvarez next signed to fight former UFC and WEC lightweight champion Ben Henderson. He was unfortunately injured and replaced - ironically enough - by Cerrone himself. After an extensive recovery Alvarez next signed for a long-awaited fight with former Strikeforce lightweight champ Gilbert Melendez. The fight had been talked about for years and lived up to its billing, with Alvarez ultimately pulling out a gutsy split decision victory. Alvarez then fought former UFC and WEC lightweight champ Anthony Pettis, winning a close and not exactly entertaining split decision over Pettis utilizing his grappling. Making History: UFC Champion Alvarez next got his shot at UFC lightweight champion Rafael Dos Anjos, making history by defeating dos Anjos via a stunning first round technical knockout and becoming the first person to win both a Bellator and a UFC world championship. Alvarez next signed to defend his title for the first time against current UFC featherweight champion Conor McGregor. The pair would main-event the UFC's first event at Madison Square Garden. McGregor dominated Alvarez completely en route to a second round knockout in one of the finest performances of his career to date, making history as the first to hold belts in two UFC weight divisions simultaneously. After the UFC Title Alvarez next fought Dustin Poirier, and the two went to war. Unfortunately, towards the end of the second round, Alvarez landed illegal knees to Poirier's head who was a downed opponent. The fight was called as a 'no-contest.' Alvarez next fought former WSOF lightweight champion Justin Gaethje and again, the two went to war for nearly three full rounds. Ultimately Alvarez knocked Gaethje out with a knee in the third round. The fight was awarded Fight of the Night honors, and Fight of the Year of 2017. He then fought a rematch versus Poirier, losing via TKO near the end of the second round. After the fight Alvarez was released from the UFC, or at least not re-signed. One Fighting Championship Alvarez next fought Timofey Nastyukhin in his One FC debut, losing via TKO near the end of the first round. He then faced Eduard Folayang, winning via first round rear-naked choke submission. Fights *Eddie Alvarez vs. Aaron Riley - The fight was for the vacant bodogFight welterweight title. *Eddie Alvarez vs. Scott Henze *Eddie Alvarez vs. Nick Thompson - The fight was for the BodogFIGHT welterweight title with the undefeated Alvarez defending. The fight was Alvarez's first loss of only two to date. *Eddie Alvarez vs. Matt Lee *Eddie Alvarez vs. Ross Ebanez - The fight was the EliteXC debut of both men and the only fight for both of them in the promotion. *Eddie Alvarez vs. Andre Amade - The fight was in the opening round of the Dream lightweight grand prix. *Eddie Alvarez vs. Tatsuya Kawajiri - The fight was in the semifinals of the Dream lightweight grand prix. *Shinya Aoki vs. Eddie Alvarez 1 - The fight was for the vacant WAMMA lightweight championship. It was only the second loss in Alvarez's career. *Eddie Alvarez vs. Toby Imada - The fight was in the finals of the Bellator Season 1 lightweight tournament, for the vacant Bellator lightweight title. *Eddie Alvarez vs. Katsunori Kikuno *Eddie Alvarez vs. Josh Neer *Eddie Alvarez vs. Roger Huerta - Huerta suffered a double pair of broken orbital bones. *Eddie Alvarez vs. Pat Curran - The fight was for the Bellator lightweight title with Alvarez defending. It was Alvarez's first defense, and the first defense of the lightweight belt overall. *Michael Chandler vs. Eddie Alvarez 1 - The fight was for the Bellator lightweight title with Alvarez defending. *Eddie Alvarez vs. Patricky Freire *Donald Cerrone vs. Eddie Alvarez - The fight was Alvarez's UFC debut. *Eddie Alvarez vs. Gilbert Melendez *Eddie Alvarez vs. Anthony Pettis *Eddie Alvarez vs. Dustin Poirier Category:Bellator champions Category:Lightweight fighters Category:Bellator fighters Category:UFC lightweight champions Category:TUF coaches